Documenting Volunteer Service

Student volunteer service is service performed under 5 U.S.C. 3111, with the permission of the institution at which the student is enrolled, as part of an Agency program established for providing educational experience for the student. Other volunteer service under programs for persons other than students is defined in the individual Agency laws and regulations authorizing those programs.

Volunteers do not receive Federal appointments, so their service is not reported to Enterprise Human Resources Integration (EHRI). Agencies are responsible for determining how to document volunteer service (e.g., self-developed forms, letters, etc.).

A Standard Form (SF) 50, Notification of Personnel Action, cannot be used to document volunteer service; however, Agencies must provide written communication to inform volunteers of the following:

  • A student volunteer is not a Federal employee for any purposes other than:
    • Injury Compensation
    • Programs to encourage commuting in other than single occupancy vehicles
    • The Tort Claims Act
  • Student volunteer service is not creditable for leave or any other employee benefits.

In addition to the above, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recommends the written communication also include:

  • Name of Agency
  • Position title
  • Office title duty location
  • Days/hours on duty

When a volunteer’s service is concluded, OPM recommends written communication that includes: 

  • Inclusive dates of service
  • Total hours or days worked
  • Guidance on how the Agency may be contacted regarding future requests to obtain documentation of volunteer service; Agencies, not OPM nor the National Personnel Records Center, are responsible for responding to requests from former volunteers for documentation of volunteer service.

Agencies are responsible for determining the method utilized for long-term filing/record keeping and determine their own disposition schedule with respect to documents used to record volunteer service. Agencies cannot use an Official Personnel Folder (OPF) for this purpose. OPM’s Government-wide systems of records notice for OPM/GOVT-1 covers volunteer service records for purposes of the Privacy Act.

Documenting Volunteer Service in the National Finance Center (NFC) Payroll/Personnel System (PPS)

NFC established the following Nature Of Action Codes (NOACs) for use by Agencies to document volunteer service in NFC's PPS.  The NOACs are entered via the Web-based Entry, Processing, Inquiry, and Correction System (EPIC Web), EmpowHR, and Front-End System Interface (FESI).

  • NOAC 928, Volunteer Accession
  • NOAC 929, Volunteer Separation

These NOACs are exception actions.  They cannot be corrected, canceled, or inserted as new documents in either an EPIC Web HCUP package or EmpowHR History Correction package. 

The processing of these NOACs does not result in the production of SF 50s, nor is the data sent to OPM in the EHRI or OPF files.